[HLTH] Sauna Plans

[Bigbng]

I've been checking out the health benefits of a sauna, and was searching the internet for FREE plans to build one, but haven't found any.
I think the basic concept seems pretty simple, so I'm not keen on spending $ for someone to tell me to build a cedar box. I thought I would ask on the forum, as great ideas always seem to come up.

Thanks

 

[otterpop]

Took awhile for me to get back to this.

I have had sauna plans on my wish list for some time, as I would like to build one myself someday. Did a search on google and came up with these so far.

http://www.am-finnsauna.com/sauna_floor_plans.htm
a company with floor plans

http://peacecountry0.tripod.com/sauna-rv.htm
sauna built into an RV

http://www.cyberbohemia.com/Pages/sweat.htm
some interesting stuff ("build your own" page has some tips)

http://www.finns.org/freeman/sauna.htm
This guy has a fancy one under the house, has photos showing how they built it.
also there's plenty of links to other sauna sites

http://www.kalle.com/sauna_faq.html -more help

I imagine that you are more interested in building your own, but some "pre-fab" types, those that can be assembled from a kit, are good too. It is possible to construct one squeezed inside your home, or building one as a separate building may be nessesary (home-owners insurance company, local building code concerns, etc.

Lots of rocks.
A shower can be included inside the main room, or in its own room. A dressing room helps. The first sauna that I used was an old wood fired type, linda like a small woodstove with the rock bin built around it, with the chimney going out the back. Hot water pipes ran thru this, so there was no need for a hot water tank. It took about two loads of wood to get the sauna about the 140-160 degree range. I was a kid then, so that was about hot enough for me. These days 75-90 C is hot enough for me, never got inside one that passed 100 C.
Electrical or natural gas stoves (not finn enough to be used to calling it kiuas) are ok, but for purposes of getting off the grid, wood-heat is best, and they are preferred when possible.

hope this helps
RO

 

[eaglefeather]

Built one in my basement.....

maybe 15 years ago. I have gotten my money out of it many times over. At the first sign of a cold or flu ... jump in there. If you are feeling a little bloated or overweight....jump in there. Combine a daily sauna with a serious water consumption program you can, in a matter of days ...lose weight, rid yourself of toxins and restore a nice "glow" to your complexion.

I went down to the local lumberyard and bought tongue and groove redwood and simply built an extremely well inslated 4'x5' room. I also bought a piece of heat tempered glass and installed a nice size window to avoid the feelings of being in a box. The only things I bought from a sauna dealer was the heater (and controls) ....along with a pre-hung door. I went with Amerec. At the time I built mine there were not that many choices of heater manufacturers out there...I am sure there are more now......but I have to say I have had absolutely no problems with Amerec.....and they are still in business.

Good luck..... you will love it

 

[eaglefeather]

PS.....

I did have the opportunity to use a wood version (quite a while ago) on a trip to an island off the coast of Maine. There is no doubt that wood offers a more enhanced sauna experience. The problem I had with it, when you want to take a sauna you have to devote much more time to do so...... building the fire and waiting for it to get up to speed. The model I have has a digital timer that can be set so that if I get up at 6AM on some frosty morning..... the sauna is ready and waiting for me. It's a matter of "knowing thyself". If I had to get up ... probably clean out the stove from the last fire, build the fire, wait on it .....I am sure I would take far fewer saunas..... and in the fall-winter, I probably take one 4-5 times a week.

 

[spider]

I've built quite a few saunas. I would suggest that you
do not line the sauna with black plastic as the fumes
could be dangerous. Also, be careful if you are going
to use a wood heater. Cedar burns fast and hard.
Keep plenty of space between the stove and any wood.

The best way to have a wood stove is to mortar a
burn barrel through a brick wall and feed the firewood
from the outside. If you have the resources, a small
dip pool in the suana can be quite refreshing.

The seats inside should have angled backrests for
comfort. Seats should be high and low for choice of
heat level.

Hope these ideas help.

 

[Bigbng]

WOW!
Again this forum has given me some great ideas.
Thank-you all so very much.
I indeed want to build a wood burning unit, it will probabaly be out behind the barn, so I won't have to worry about insurance and stuff. I was going to install a little outdoor sprinkler to cool off with, just a simple shower head, as the water pressure is pretty low anyways.

Thanks again, I'lll be sure to let everyone know how it goes.

 

[bobaloo]

Since you've got a barn, let me throw out another idea in case it applies.

When we were in the midwest I converted my root cellar into a sauna by lining it with wood, building some benches and installing a wood stove, using the vent in the ceiling for the chimney.

It was the best sauna I've ever used. I'd load the stove up with construction scraps. let it burn down, then load up the stove again and get in the sauna. The first load would heat it to 160 or so, then it would gradually climb to 170 with the second load of wood

There's two basic types of "sauna", the steam-room type with relatively low temps and high humidity, and the Scandavian style with high temps and low humidity, which is obviously the type I prefer.

Very low cost to set up and there was just something about being underground in the root cellar, no noise but the stove and the light coming through the stove vent, it was really nice. And, since it made me clean up and maintain the space, it was particularly pleasant on summer afternoons when we had to avoid tornadoes...

 

[Laurane]

When we bought our acreage....

it had a Finnish sauna built in a building out back.......it has power/lights & it is lined with cedar and has 3 raised benches along one wall, a window which opens, a barrel stove lying on its side with round rocks placed all around the sides and back (it sits on concrete - and you just pour water over the rocks for steam/heat) and the stove is loaded from the front through a little glass door. There is a block chimney on the roof where the stove pipe goes up.

There is an old galvanised wash tub to heat the water on the top of the stove (2 metal rods welded on top keep the tub in place. We also have a standpipe for water in next to the stove, so can just fill whenever we want, and it doesn't freeze.

There is another smaller room you walk through a door to the sauna with another opening window, and a window looking into the sauna, clothes hooks on one wall and shelves on another - we use it for storing our food supplies, folding chairs, and also have a porta potti in there for extra use when someone comes camping for a weekend.

We can use this building for emergency and keep some kerosene aladdin lamps in there for light and we can use the stove for cooking. The dimensions are 14 x 12 and the full length benches can make decent sleeping spaces......can do light clothes washing in the wash tub on the stove and the clothes line is just outside......it is all sheltered under large trees and out of the wind and up on a hill.

 

[otterpop]

"...and also have a porta potti in there for extra use when someone comes camping for a weekend.

We can use this building for emergency ..."


I had read somewhere once that people would build the sauna first, then live in it while building the main house.

RO

 

[Charlie]

You Bet Hey

Being a Yooper......Sauna's (pronounced correctly as Saoouunah) has been a part of my life since I can remember. In the town I lived in in Yooperland....there was a wood fired sauna in almost every back yard. The Finndians (northern cajuns) use em regularly. I remember many public saunas that held about 25 folks at a crack. They were by local taverns and were marked by a big red bullseye as their marking. You could pay $1 to take a sauna and got a towel as part of the deal.

Wood is the only way to go unless your zoning, etc. does not allow them. Indeed the Finns here call electric sauna's "Like pissing in a light socket, hey".

Be careful what kind of rocks you use. Some stones will absorb water and explode if overheated. It is best to test your rocks a few times before you go nuts as a blasting rock on your first sauna can be a rather nasty experience. We get our rocks from the shores of Lake Superior. Not sure what they are...but we know what to look for and there are those that are better than others. We sort out the ones that are about fist sized. Also, be sure that your sauna is not drafty, but has a good source of fresh air. You do not want to seal yourself into a tiny room with no fresh air. We like an air draft that goes by our heater so that the room is not drafty, but has plenty of fresh air while staying nice and toasty.

The traditional sauna experience I was raised with goes like this. DO NOT RUSH THE EXPERIENCE! It is also nice to keep the sauna quiet and use a little candle (one that will not melt) a oil candle, or other source of minimal light...the public ones I mentioned had a little tiny yellow window to the changing room for light..we like the flickering light from the door of our wood heater. First heat up the sauna to the max temp you can handle. The first half hour or so is done dry until you break a really good sweat. NO STEAM UNTIL YOU ARE SWEATING...... Then, the second half hour is with steam off of the rocks. Then the last half hour is dry again. After the steam part, a good splash of cold water or a jump in the lake/pool if you have it is very refreshing. It also shocks your system and skin pores. Some of us real kooks roll in the snow, but that can kill you if you are not ready for it. Actually a big hole cut in the ice of a lake is really a nice way to go in the winter. It is far less shocking than the snow roll and you will be surprised as how mellow it really is.

A little eucalyptus oil in the water you put on the rocks is nice also. Helps open up the sinuses. The Finns always beat each other (gently) with fresh cedar boughs during the sauna also. This help stimulate the skin and slough off the dead skin cells. At minimum...use a loofa sponge on each others backs. After the sauna we take a long cold as you can handle shower with lots of soap. We use Kirks Cocoa Castile. Then.....we usually just go to bed and sleep as long as we can. You will wake up like a new baby the next day.....refreshed like you cannot imagine.

Regular saunas are very good for your health...but be sure to work up slowly if your body is not familiar with this treatment. Folks in poor health should be very careful to ease into this process. I know old Finndians who are in their mega old age that take saunas several times a week, summer and winter. They all are some of the healthies folks I know.

Drink lots of fluids before and during your sauna. Avoid alcohol altho they used to make a "Sauna Beer" here that was a low alcohol brew just for chugging while taking saunas. We always keep a pitcher of fresh cold well water handy.

The locals here gather as families and friends and young and old take their saunas au natural. The Finnlanders and Indians have the sauna and sweat lodge in common and were actually the first folks to bathe regulary. Skinny, fat, young, old and ugly all mix and there is no thought of sexuality as it is TOO HOT to have sex in a sauna.....they are sacred places for bathing. Some Yuppie types that vacation in our area try to have sex in the sauna and almost die from the experience. Dumb Yuppies!

Do a Google Seach for House of Finnland for your sauna accessories. A Valmut thermometer is a good addition. I also agree that you need to be careful with safety and what you use for the barrier behind your cedar or redwood. Another thing.....NO METAL OR NAIL HEADS anywhere where your naked butt may make contact. Also a "drunk rail" around the heater or rocks is appropriate as a trip or fall onto the hot stuff can ruin a good sauna. Be sure the whole place can be sprayed with a garden hose for cleaning (drain in the floor for sure) and be sure not to let any soap get on the benches, etc. unless you plan on cleaning them each and every time you use the sauna. We sit on towels and keep the place nice and sanitary.

Hope you enjoy.....we sure do.... ps.....I should copywright the term "Finndians" as it is my original term for us "northern cajuns"!